scholarly journals Decreasing the Impact of Anxiety on Cancer Prevention through Online Intervention

Author(s):  
Maksymilian Gajda ◽  
Małgorzata Kowalska

Background: Low levels of public knowledge, incorrect beliefs, and anxiety are the most often mentioned factors that may negatively affect the implementation of preventive campaigns and timely diagnosis of cancer. Cancer is a major unresolved problem for global public health. As a result, many effective preventive measures need to be found and implemented. Methods: For a duration of 18 months, readers of the Polish scientific Internet portal were invited to participate in the Polish On-line Randomized Intervention aimed at Neoplasm Avoidance (PORINA) study. Level of cancer-related anxiety was our main measure (self-declared on a simple five-point Likert scale) in this analysis. Results: A total of 463 participants were qualified for the final analysis. Respondents with a positive family history of cancer (p < 0.001) declared the highest level of cancer-related anxiety, whereas lower levels were declared by those previously treated for cancer (p = 0.006). The conducted educational intervention reduced the declared level of cancer-related anxiety. Conclusions: The results of this study provide evidence that the use of web-based interventions aimed at increasing awareness could reduce cancer-related anxiety and may lead to more frequent consent to undergo some of the medical procedures used to diagnose or treat cancer.

2012 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 991-1004 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadia M. Wager

This study investigated respondents’ experiences of completing a retrospective web-based survey exploring sexual revictimization. The original survey provided a link to a separate mixed-methods survey assessing the impact of participation. Of the original 481 respondents, 234 completed this follow-up survey. Eighty percent were female and 52% reported histories of sexual victimization (SV). Newman, Willard, Sinclair, and Kaloupek’s (2001) Reactions to Research Participation Questionnaire was adapted to suit this web-based design, and several open-ended questions were included. The statistical analysis revealed that those who experienced SV reported higher levels of distress and personal benefit and were less likely to be inconvenienced by participation. However, higher levels of benefit did not always compensate for greater levels of distress, particularly for those with more recent and more extensive histories of SV. The thematic analysis of the qualitative responses is discussed and suggestions are offered for the design of more ethically sensitive research protocols and practices.


2016 ◽  
Vol 21 ◽  
pp. 214-227 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlene Downing ◽  
Marie Hastings-Tolsma

Background: Caring forms the core component of nursing. The history of the nature of caring in South Africa is non-specific and is unknown. The impact of nurse and activist Albertina Sisulu – known as the Mother of the Nation – has the potential to offer uniquein sights into what could be the context of caring for nurses.Aims: The study aimed at 1) critically synthesising the available evidence of caring as portrayed by Albertina Sisulu within the South African context, and 2) interpreting Sisulu's work within the Ubuntu philosophy as a framework for nursing and caring.Method: An integrative review was completed using Whittemore and Knafl's framework. Key electronic databases, selected references and web-based search engines were scoured for articles meeting the inclusion criteria. This systematic and iterative approach yielded 18 non-research reports related to Sisulu; eight reports (three research, five non-research) related to ubuntu and nursing. Data was extracted that related to relevant and conclusive new and innovative practices in caring.Results: The findings provided a context for practice guidelines of caring concerning knowledge and critical thinking about caring by nurses. Two primary factors emerged that demonstrated a culture of caring as seen through the prism of Sisulu's life: devoted dancer and creation of a healing environment. These factors also reflect African ubuntu principles, where the focus is on the relationships between people and how these relationships could be conducted.Conclusions: Ubuntu and Sisulu's approach to caring have much to offer for the nursing profession in terms of developing of new directions for nursing pedagogy, curriculum,practice patterns, and policies that emphasise caring constructs.


2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 441-454
Author(s):  
Narges Bayat ◽  
◽  
Atieh Ashtari ◽  
Mohsen Vahedi ◽  
◽  
...  

Objectives: The prelinguistic skills which pave the way for language development have always been an area of research in the Speech Therapy field. Although studying these skills is important, there is a study gap among Persian children. Therefore, this study explored prelinguistic skills among a sample of Persian-speaking children aged 6 to 24 months and made a comparison between different age groups. We also studied the effects of gender and family history of speech-language disorders on children’s prelinguistic abilities. Methods: In the present study, 277 mothers of Iranian Persian-speaking children aged 6 to 24 months were asked to fill a research-made checklist that evaluated the prelinguistic skills of their children. This study was cross-sectional and was conducted in Tehran City, Iran, in 2021. Children’s abilities in different age groups were compared using the analysis of variance (ANOVA), Scheffe test, the Kruskal-Wallis test, and the post-hoc test. The differences between the total scores of the two genders were also determined using the Mann-Whitney U test. Results: Comparing the prelinguistic skills in different age groups indicated a statistically significant increase in the scores as children grow up. Children with a positive family history of speech-language disorders scored lower on the checklist than the others (91.03±17.37). Furthermore, there were statistically significant differences between the two genders in developing gesture, vocalization, first words, social interaction, imitation, and play; girls had higher scores. Conclusion: Based on the studies conducted in different countries, prelinguistic skills develop as children grow up; these skills facilitate language acquisition and other social skills. The present study also demonstrated the development of these skills alongside children’s development. This similarity between Persian-speaking children and other children from different cultures and languages, as well as better performance in children with a negative family history of speech-language impairments, confirm the role of genetic factors in children’s development. Moreover, the differences in the development of some prelinguistic skills between girls and boys reveal the impact of various factors, such as social factors, on prelinguistic skills development.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eduardo Jorge Muniz Magalhães ◽  
Luciana Maria Sarin ◽  
Lorena Catarina Del Sant ◽  
Ana Cecília Lucchese ◽  
Carolina Nakahira ◽  
...  

Background: A history of child sexual abuse (CSA) is related to higher suicide rates and poor treatment outcomes in depressed adult patients. Twenty years after the first study investigating the effects of ketamine/esketamine on depression and suicide, there is a lack of data on the CSA effects on this emerging treatment. Here, we assess the impact of CSA on adjunctive subcutaneous (SC) esketamine for treatment-resistant depression (TRD).Methods: A directed acyclic graphic (DAG) was designed to identify clinical confounders between CSA and esketamine predictors of response. The confounders were applied in a statistical model to predict depression symptom trajectory in a sample of 67 TRD outpatients.Results: The patient sample had a relatively high prevalence rate of CSA (35.82%). Positive family history of first-degree relatives with alcohol use disorder and sex were clinical mediators of the effects of esketamine in a CSA adult population. Overall, the presence of at least one CSA event was unrelated to esketamine symptom reduction.Conclusions: Unlike responses to conventional antidepressants and psychotherapy, CSA does not appear to predict poor response to esketamine.


2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 781-787
Author(s):  
Mohammad Vafaee-Shahi ◽  
Reza S. Badv ◽  
Alinaghi Kazemi ◽  
Samileh Noorbakhsh ◽  
Koorosh Kamali ◽  
...  

Background: Based on previous studies, vitamin D deficiency could lead to nerve stimulation. The purpose of the present study was to determine frequency and duration of seizures in children with idiopathic epilepsy in two groups; normal level of vitamin D versus decreased level of vitamin D. Methods: This pilot, comparative study was carried out in Zanjan University of Medical Sciences on total 40 children aging between 2 to 12 years old (23 male and 17 female) with the diagnosis of idiopathic epilepsy. All patients were receiving anti-epileptic drugs. The initial questionnaire was completed by each parent. Total 40 epileptic cases were examined in close follow-ups every three months, during total 9 months. Meanwhile, the frequency and duration of each seizure were recorded in questionnaire at every three-month period. Vitamin D blood samples were analyzed at the beginning of the study and after 9 months following the study. Serum levels of Vitamin D were analyzed by ELISA method (Elecsys2010, RocheCo, Germany; STAR FAX; 2100), simultaneously, Vitamin D level <30 ng/ml (nanogram per milliliter) was defined as Vitamin D deficiency. Cases were divided into two groups based on Vitamin D level. The frequency and duration of convulsions were compared in patients with normal level of vitamin D versus children with decreased level of vitamin D. Data were analyzed by Chi-square and t-test methods. Results: In all 40 patients, vitamin D level less than 30 ng/ml was detected in 32% (13 patients) at the beginning of study and 35% (14 patients) in 9 months later (13 patients were common between the two groups). There was no significant relationship between the frequency of seizures, the duration of seizures and vitamin D levels in patients. The relationship between positive family history of epilepsy and the number of seizures was reported significant. The frequency of vitamin D deficiency was higher in female cases in final evaluation. Conclusion: In the present study, a considerable correlation was detected between the frequency of seizures and positive history of seizure in the family. The frequency of vitamin D deficiency was higher in female cases in final analysis. No significant relationship was detected between the number of seizures, the mean duration of seizures and serum level of Vitamin D in children who received anticonvulsant drugs. However, vitamin D deficiency in patients was not overlooked in order to prevent known complications. We recommend a randomized clinical trial in the future with an adequate sample size. Moreover, a non-epileptic control group in study would be useful.


2001 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 93-110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leonard Goodman ◽  
Dan Palmon

This paper considers how innovations in information technology have changed the process by which accounting historians collect primary and secondary sources of information. It examines how web-based systems have made it possible for historians to collect data from what is effectively a twenty-four-hour “on-line library”. The paper explores some of the limitations of technological innovations and considers the steps necessary to ensure future access to information stored in digital electronic form. It also considers the challenges involved in authenticating primary source documents such as e-mail and facsimiles and the impact of encryption on the availability of data in the future. Advances in information technology suggest that future generations of accounting historians will require new skills.


2021 ◽  
pp. 039156032110012
Author(s):  
Tommaso Calcagnile ◽  
Maria Chiara Sighinolfi ◽  
Luca Sarchi ◽  
Simone Assumma ◽  
Beatrice Filippi ◽  
...  

Objective: To evaluate the impact of an e-learning online event, created for supporting resident’s training during the slowdown of surgical and clinical activities caused by COVID-19 pandemic. An overview of PubMed literature depicting the state of the art of urology residency in the COVID-19 era was performed as well, to contextualize the issue. Methods: An online learning event for residents was set up at the beginning of the pandemic; the faculty consisted of experts in urology who provided on-line lectures and videos on surgical anatomy, procedures, updates in guidelines, technology, training. The audience was composed of 30–500 attendees from Italy, USA, India and Belgium. A questionnaire to analyze relevance, satisfaction and popularity of the lessons was mailed to 30 local residents. Results and limitations: Almost all residents defined the web environment suitable to achieve the learning outcomes; the method, the number and the competence of the faculty were appropriate/excellent. Most of the younger residents (81.8%) stated their surgical knowledge would improve after the course; 72.7% declared they would take advantage into routine inpatients clinical activity. Nineteen more expert residents agreed that the course would improve their surgical knowledge and enhance their practical skills; almost all stated that the initiative would change their outpatients and inpatients practice. Overall, 44 articles available in PubMed have addressed the concern of urological learning and training during the pandemic from different standpoints; four of them considered residents’ general perception towards web-based learning programs. Conclusions: The paper confirms residents’ satisfaction with e-learning methods and, to our knowledge, is the first one focusing on a specific event promptly settled up at the beginning of the outbreak. Web-based educational experience developed during the pandemic may represent the very basis for the implementation of prospective on-site training and overall scientific update of future urologists.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-4 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. O. Oluwayemi ◽  
S. J. Brink ◽  
E. E. Oyenusi ◽  
O. A. Oduwole ◽  
M. A. Oluwayemi

Background.Over the past two decades there has been an increase in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in children. Baseline data is needed to assess the impact of changing lifestyles on Ado-Ekiti, a previously semiurban community in Southwest Nigeria. This study was therefore conducted to assess the fasting blood glucose (FBG) of adolescents in Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria.Methodology.This was a cross-sectional study involving 628 adolescents from three different secondary schools in Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria. With parental consent, volunteers completed a structured questionnaire, and an overnight FBG was measured.Results.There were 346 males and 282 females (male : female ratio = 1.2 : 1). Their ages ranged from 10 to 19 years (mean age:14.2±1.7years). Four hundred and forty-four (70.7%) had normal FBG, while 180 (28.7%) and 4 (0.6%) had FBG in the prediabetic and diabetic range, respectively. Female gender, age group 10–14 years, and family history of obesity were significantly associated with impaired FBG (Pvalue <0.001, <0.001, and 0.045, resp.).Conclusion.Impaired FBG is common among secondary school adolescents and it is more prevalent among younger female adolescents (10–14 years) with positive family history of obesity.


2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 47-51
Author(s):  
Tabarek Yaseen ◽  
Zahraa Qais ◽  
Zahraa Abass

Background: Appendicitis is one of the most common causes of the acute abdomen worldwide, but many patients present with atypical signs and symptoms. The study aimed to evaluate the impact of positive family history in the diagnosis of appendicitis in a limited diagnostic setting. Methods: Gender matched case control study of ratio (1:2) was carried out from July 2016 to September 2016 with a sample size of 300 patients. Cases were patients presented in surgical department with acute abdominal pain diagnosed as having appendicitis for whom appendectomy was performed, while controls were hospital based with other abdominal problems. Data was collected using a questionnaire. Primary analysis was a Chi square (χ2) test and the calculation of odds ratio (OR) for the association between final diagnosis of appendicitis and family history. Results: Females were 55% in both groups. Cases were younger than controls (27.05± 12.58 vs. 42.43±17.39 years). Positive family history of appendectomy was higher among cases (66%) than controls (31.5%). The diagnosis of acute appendicitis was 3.8 times higher among those with positive family history of appendectomy and abdominal pain, with a sensitivity of 66% and a specificity of 66.4%. Cases with more than one relative with family history of appendectomy, increased suspicion by 13 times when compared to those without family history. Conclusion: Positive family history of appendectomy in patients with acute abdominal pain and more than one relative with history of appendicitis can be considered as important parameters in the diagnosis of appendicitis in limited diagnostic setting.


2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anastasiia Petrenko ◽  
Oleksander Litus

Acne is one of the most common skin disease in young adults and occurs in 85% of boys and girls. The disease is characterized by progressive course of the formation of psycho-emotional disorders, mainly depression row in about half of patients. Installed heredity is almost 80% of first-degree relatives of patients with acne. In patients with positive family history of acne the disease occurs earlier and course harder. The aim of the study – is to determine the impact of acne on psycho-emotional status in patients. Materials and methods. We examined 78 patients with severe and moderate acne. All patients were questioned by questionnaire CADI (Cardiff Acne Disability Index). Results. Among the surveyed men with moderate acne average value was 6, median – 6, mode – 6; in men with severe acne course average value was 8.6, median – 9.5, mode – 10. Among women surveyed the results of the form were somewhat different from data that were shown by male patients. Women with moderate acne had average value 7 points, the median – 7.5 mode – 8; among women who had severe acne course the average value was – 8, median – 9. Conclusions. As can be seen from the results of the questionnaire, respondents in all groups were shown a significant effect of disease on the psycho-emotional state of patients. 


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